Greg T. Proclaimes "To mediocrity and beyond! 2018"

Recommended Posts

Last year ended very well for me and I am really looking forward to the continuing saga that is my fitness journey.

I point people to my previous challenge Powering on to Curacao continues! This will have updates on the previous challenge.

I had a large list of things I wanted to include in this years goals but I have started really looking at it and I am actually going to keep it compact.

Originally I was going to have learning the Banjo, Dutch and a bunch of other things in here.

Well, I am hoping to do these things but to be honest, I don't want to drag myself down with things I do not Have to do. If I can do them, I will but I am planning on making this a year of fitness.

I read already so getting in more reading would actually be counter productive. I don't watch a lot of television/Netflix any longer so that habit is gone. No, this year I am going to put out my goals and go for it.

Fitness!

1st Overall goal for the year is to increase my fitness to a level that will allow me to run. I can sorta jog now, and if forced I can sprint but I pay a price for it. I have been noticing that when I play basketball I can actually jog p and down the court without thinking I am going to snap a knee. So, I hope to continue this trend.
How ever am I going to do this you ask, well here you go.
1. I am going to begin a couch to 5k program beginning Jan 1st ( already did it as of this writing). I am planning to do it at my pace, however. If it takes me 6 months that is fine.
2. I am going to continue playing basketball. This will help with general agility and well you run in that game.

2nd overall fitness goal is to become the monster I used to be, or at least the larval stage of said monster.
In a previous life (circa 1999) I was in excellent condition and could do any body weight moves I wanted, I could run 5 miles, do 200 pushups, climb ropes , etc. I was also in the gym lifting weights. I am going to continue the gym work. My goals are as follows for the gym.
1st Bench press over 300 pounds( ~140 kg) by the end of 2018. Ultimate goal is to bench my previous personal best 375 lbs (170 kg) by end of 2018. While the latter goal is attainable having an increase of 150 lbs on bench press is a tall order. Going up another 55 pounds is doable for sure. This will be accomplished with my general gym schedule which will be later in this post.
2nd Squats. I used to love squats. I have however let myself get to the point I cannot do a squat. I have been working on this and it is getting better. I have a goal by the end of 2018 I will be performing full back squats. I am not putting a weight on it, just to do the movement. I am currently doing leg press and other exercises that mimic the squat, so hopefully I will be able to do reasonable numbers once I can actually do squats.
3rd Complete an OCR. I was hoping to go to RRDW in May but with my wife coming in August I am having to reprioritize. This said, there are several opportunities to fly to Europe for a race, and starting next November here in UAE the OCR schedule fills up here. So I will be doing one of them. I am going to post on here as soon as I sign up for my first, goal is to be signed up by February 14, 2018. Because I love myself! Now this is where the couch to 5k comes in as well as the other exercises I plan to implement in the gym.
4th Swimming. I am going to be swimming this year. I went diving for the first time in 12 years on my holiday and I snorkeled for hours on end. I really like swimming and water sports. I have access to a pool, and I am going to take it. The goal is to log my total number of meters per session. Goal is to swim 2 times per week and average 1500 meters per session. So goal is 75,000 m (75 km) to be swum this year. This will only include swims in marked water i.e. swimming pool. If I go to the beach doesn't count if they do not have a fixed course. Scuba will not count, Im planing to do both on the side. This will be accomplished by going to the new gym on the base I work at, which has an olympic size pool, and I have confirmed the hours they are open. This will be easier as they are now assembling all the new weight lifting equipment in the new gym as well. It will be one stop shop. I will lift, then swim.

5th food. I am currently doing a whole30. My plan is to try and keep this going for the whole year. I say try only because I have not done a whole 30 yet and I may be able to safely incorporate some of the non whale 30 compliant foods into my routine. If I can tolerate cheese and milk it would not be a bad addition in small quantities for example. My purpose is to truly kill the cravings I had. I didn't have many and the Steak and Eggs diet I did helped a great deal. I just think I can do this better. I am starting to see changes in my body. The scale isn't moving but the popping out of veins in y arms, the reappearance of my color bones , etc., all point to Im doing something right. My goal is to have a sub 40 inch waist by December 31, 2018. I am ashamed to say it, but I am a 50 inch waist right now. I have a 54 inch chest, so I was not quite a pear, but it is a far cry from 1999 when I measured 54 in the chest, and 35 in the waist. I am not putting a weight down as I don't care. I really don't. If I weighed my current 325 lb ( 150 kg) but it was all in the right places with the right composition I would be happy with that. I just know that there are many inches in my middle that do not need to be there. All is not gloom, however. When I started this journey in September 2017, I had a 54 inch waist. So I did lose 4 inches.

The Temple Schedule:

I am still going to plan for a 5 day a week lift schedule. However based on life over the last 4 months of last year I know that 5 days is a rarity. So I am going to commit to lifting 3 days a week minimum. I know from my charts from last year, 85% of the time I can complete 4 lift days a week. So my goal for 2018 is to have completed 180 weight lifting days by the end of the year.
Current schedule is as follows:
Sunday, Monday,Tuesday will beare lift days. Wednesday is my long work day and currently sports day ( Basketball volleyball and Football) with the Military so it all be a rest day. Thursday is a lift day and Friday is a lift day. Saturday is a rest day. I will not lift more than 3 days in a row. I work out wit enough intensity that when I did 6 in a row last fall, I broke myself for several weeks and actually revised gains I had previously achieved.

Outside the Temple:

I am going to finish my lifts by going to the pool. Currently I have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday available for swimming and possibly Wednesday. After that the pool hours become ridiculous. 1 hour each day from Thursday through Saturday, and that is if someone shows up to unlock the building.

I am going to go for a walk/hike twice a week. I will incorporate running as I go. This will include my plans that on weekends I will be making day trips around the country to do activities. I may hike in the mountains, or I may hike all over Dubai Mall and fountain looking at cool stuff. Either way I am not sitting on can. I plan to do road trips, I do love road trips, and I am going to plan into them, hikes along the way.

That is it. Simple yeah?

I am going to do my best to be the best me, I can over the next year. I owe that to myself and to those that love me. I have tasted again the joys of being active and I am addicted. I need to get functional again to truly enjoy the gifts I have. I may add in side challenges and special things during the year, but these are the pillars on which the other things will be placed.

As Always ODIN!

Thanks for your support, I really appreciate all of your help and encouragement.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Im going to try and do food porn. Let me know if it is working or not. I eat some things sometimes that I am not sure of. One of the things I am trying to do is make complete meals, which includes presentation. So If it looks like a pile of garbage please say so lol.

So apparently it didn't put what it is. It is Peri Peri Chicken thighs with steamed broccoli and Mashed sweet potatoes.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I am going to do my best to be the best me, I can over the next year. I owe that to myself and to those that love me. I have tasted again the joys of being active and I am addicted. I need to get functional again to truly enjoy the gifts I have.

So happy things are working out w.r.t. possible move of Mrs.T, and here to support you in this ^^.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I am admitting it, I am ill. There I said it. I am having to stop doing stuff to deal with this cold. I came home yesterday after not going to the gym for the first real workout of the New year because I was exhausted. I actually fell asleep in front of my computer at work yesterday with my mouse in my hand and facing the screen. I came home, pounded some water and a cup of Chamomile tea and took a two hour nap. I was up for a few hours and feeling better, and went to bed about 2100. Well I was awakened by my alarm which doesn't happen. I normally wake up before it goes off. The I did wake up I was completely drained. I just wanted to go back to bed. I didn't! I got up and started to do my morning excercises and collapsed on the floor from the starting position of Push up. So I went to a shower, after that, I called into work and said I was not coming in today and went back to sleep. I woke up at 1230, and have now slept for 15 hours. I am still tired but my congestion is better eve though I feel weak as a malnourished kitten. I have a strong immune system but when a cold gets through they are copper plated bitches.

Worst part of this is I have no sick time. I have one pool of time off, and it is 15 days for the year. I just burned one in the second week of the year. now I get less time off. O h well, I need the rest.

So I talked to my workout partner today and discussed what we are doing. I am hoping to get back in and lift this week, but as of today t looks like a full week delay in getting 2018 started. I am not changing my goals I will make this up. I am also deciding that I a going to do my ab routine every day not just 3 times a week. Your abs don't need rest they work everyday al day right?

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. It seems my making the chicken soup o Saturday was fortuitous.

ODIN!

1

1

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

yes he is fine. we were posing for a photo with everyone holding a fish. One of the guys in the group when we were finished was in a hurry I guess and bumped another guy so he could drop his fish back in the bucket. well the guy he bumped bumped into the Doc, and pricked him with his fish in the forearm. The Doctor is ok, I was asking him about it and he said it was not comfortable but it was not to bad. He reported it immediately and they got the heat packs going right away so it was ok. Also he was probably the one guy least likely to not recognize other symptoms and do something about it. He is local too, so has an in to the hospitals.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

yes he is fine. we were posing for a photo with everyone holding a fish. One of the guys in the group when we were finished was in a hurry I guess and bumped another guy so he could drop his fish back in the bucket. well the guy he bumped bumped into the Doc, and pricked him with his fish in the forearm. The Doctor is ok, I was asking him about it and he said it was not comfortable but it was not to bad. He reported it immediately and they got the heat packs going right away so it was ok. Also he was probably the one guy least likely to not recognize other symptoms and do something about it. He is local too, so has an in to the hospitals.

The neoprene probably stopped the spikes from going in too deep. He is lucky!

Hope you are lucky and this cold leaves quick-quick.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Well I woke up this morning. I count that as a victory at present. The cold is still there but much reduced from it's previous fury. I woke up this morning and felt like crud, you know the crud your wheel well picks up the it has been rain gin and you are driving down a gravel dirt road that has recently had manure spilled on it. I decided that this would be a perfect time to go for a walk! I had started by trying my normal morning workout and yeah, I collapsed while In pushup position without doing one. SO I thought being ambulatory would be a logical step. So Out the door I went, into a light rain. Yep it was raining in Abu Dhabi. I went with it. I popped back in the house and grabbed my boogie hat and went for a 25 minute walk. Upon completion of this moronic endeavor I jumped in a very hot shower and began my prep for work. I was not hungry, so I had 2 cups of chicken broth. All of the soup I made did not fit in the container I had so I had the broth/soup/veggie stuff left over so that was my breakfast. I drank 750 ml of water on teh way to work, and that brings you up to date.

I am glad I got the walk in this morning as it means I got something accomplished today. I hope I am actually on the end and it is not a ruse of the cold to get me to lower my defenses.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Well I guess my general reaction to my cold today is F you very much. I got a decent nights sleep and I was good at work today. Nothing serious, slight sniffles. Well today is the Work Sports day, and since I had no games for the teams I am on, I decided I was going to take advantage of the brand new Olympic swimming pool they have. I mean the new gym is complete, It is a fully operational Gym STAR. I am planning to hit the brand new weight room on Sunday. It looks fabulous. Well today I did 1500 m of swimming so I only have 73.5 km to go on my quest for teh year!

When that was done I climbed in the hot tube and it is the perfect size. I can lean my head back and stretch my legs out and I get a jet on my back, one on each hand and forearm, and my feet each get one of their own lol. It is good being 191 cm ( 6'3") sometimes. Well After I nearly fell asleep in it, I hoed out and changed into my regular gym clothes and went out to see hat was happening in the gymnasium. Well I got grabbed for a pickup game of full court basketball. Two games and two loses later, 70 mins of play, we called it. So I got 70 mins of basketball in after 45 mins of swimming! Yeah Suck It Cold!

I feel good. a Little tired but in a good way. I then treated myself to dinner at my normal Wednesday dinner spot I have been missing for a month. they do fresh seafood on the base at the commissary. they have fresh fish and prawns delivered each day and you select what you want and they will fry it or grill it for you. the fried calamari , shrimp and Hammer ( Grouper) is what I normally get along with a big plate of pickled onions, white onion, cucumbers and tomatoes on the side. All fresh and tasty and served with lemon slices. Well since I am doing whole 30, I decided to get grilled prawns. So Dinner as 200 g of grilled prawns plus the veggies and then I grabbed 4 dates to top it off. all in all not a bad end to the meal. I am however starting to get hungry again so, maybe not enough food.

Well I am apparently on the mend, no doubt to all of your good wishes. So It may have started off slow but it is Started.

ODIN!

I am using a stock photo since I was on the base and no cameras were allowed. they looked like this though.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Grilled prawns are awesome, but I don't get them very often because peeling them is too much of a deterrent for some reason Same reason I rarely eat crab...

I guess so many years living on the Gulf Coast of Florida has me immune to both of those hardships. it is just what you do to eat them. They devein them and that splits the shell so taking the Head, shell and legs off takes literally 2 seconds. I did not bow to the pressures of my grumbling stomach. I had Nothing and I liked it! Well I drank more water and that seemed to fix the problem actually.

2

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Brandt used to dive for crayfish in season, but my allergy became very bad at one stage. So I would sit and drool while he and friends had crayfish. I try to buy prawns from the shop every now and again. Luckily their already deveined as well, so it is a quick job to grill in garlic butter. I can handle a meal once every 4,5 preferably 6 months.
Glad you are feeling better and moving again.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Brandt used to dive for crayfish in season, but my allergy became very bad at one stage. So I would sit and drool while he and friends had crayfish. I try to buy prawns from the shop every now and again. Luckily their already deveined as well, so it is a quick job to grill in garlic butter. I can handle a meal once every 4,5 preferably 6 months.
Glad you are feeling better and moving again.

The funny thing is I have no problems eating crayfish. I suspect the biggest difference is that when I have prawns it is usually not the only thing on the menu, so I have to switch between using utensils and getting my hands dirty, which is what I don't like. When I have crawdads I make a meal of it, so I don't mind my hands getting all messy.

1

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Well I had an interesting morning. I came into work after being on the phone with a client on my way in, on my personal phone only to be told that at 0900 the General wants everyone at GHQ for a Lecture. So off I went after telling the customer we would be closed and I didn't know when we would open again. It turns out that they knew what was going on a week ago and just didn't bother to tell the two Americans. Well it was for Soldier of the year 2107. Nice ceremony, and then I got to have Camel for lunch. they had a banquet afterwards and Camel was the entrée. Tasty. Second time I have had it in my life and this was nice. It was a cross between pot roast and roast beef and tasted like it too. I had a nice 8 oz serving and a hunk of Camel Hum. It was good too, big block of fat.

So far the day is going ok, if out of the ordinary. Looking at getting in a hike this afternoon, and was just told about a diving expo in Dubai tomorrow. I might head to that look for dive gear.

Oh and believe it or not, My fitness pal had both camel meat and camel hump in the data base.

6

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Glad you enjoyed the camel. I have only had it once and it was awful. The hump had been deep fried in vegetable oil, I think? Anyway it tasted like fat fried in vegetable oil, which of course tastes like vegetable oil and not much else. We also got knees and spine (which still had a bit of meat there) but it didn't have any seasoning and tasted like it was not exactly fresh. I wouldn't mind trying it again, but I won't have it again in China.

1

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

The funny thing is I have no problems eating crayfish. I suspect the biggest difference is that when I have prawns it is usually not the only thing on the menu, so I have to switch between using utensils and getting my hands dirty, which is what I don't like. When I have crawdads I make a meal of it, so I don't mind my hands getting all messy.

Since the boys were small I learned to always have a damp cloth handy. They now even take one each for themselves and if we eat anything that you are allowed to eat with your hands, we don't hesitate because the cloths are there. But not all people like doing that. We use it basically in stead of serviettes and I wash them in the washing machine. Use clean ones every day.

1 hour ago, GregT. said:

I had a nice 8 oz serving and a hunk of Camel Hum. It was good too, big block of fat.